Cable Briefs (Press, 21 May 1987)

On 21 May 1987, a series of significant news stories emerged from various parts of the world. In a report from Moscow, the Soviet Union's state-run newspaper, "Pravda," accused the United States of exacerbating tensions in the region by allegedly encouraging Muslim rebels to conduct raids into Soviet territory along the Afghanistan border. The publication specifically implicated Pakistan as a collaborator with the Reagan Administration in efforts to undermine a national reconciliation program that the Soviet-supported Afghan Government claimed aimed to bring an end to the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. In the Philippines, the military reported that violence related to two separate guerrilla wars has resulted in the deaths of 1,255 individuals this year, representing a 22 per cent decrease compared to the same period in the previous year. The majority of these deaths, specifically 1,121, were attributed to the nationwide communist insurgency, while the remainder were casualties from a smaller Muslim separatist movement taking place on the southern island of Mindanao. In business news, British publisher Robert Maxwell made headlines with an offer to acquire Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Incorporation, one of the largest independent book publishers in the United States, for approximately USD 2 billion. The acquisition bid, which was priced at $44 per share, was made through Maxwell's British Printing and Communications Corporation and represents his largest venture into the U.S. publishing market to date. In a courtroom in San Diego, a mother was acquitted of charges related to the abduction of her son from his homosexual father. Superior Court Judge Douglas Woodworth ruled in favour of Betty Lou Batey, stating that evidence indicated she was driven by a profound fear for her son’s safety. Batey, who is 43 years old, had expressed concerns that her son, Brian, now 16, would be harmed by potentially negative influences associated with his father's homosexual lifestyle. This verdict was delivered just moments before the jury was set to commence deliberations in the case. These diverse stories highlight political tensions, societal issues, and key business moves occurring nationally and internationally in the midst of May 1987.

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